Parking near your stay

About the hotel

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De Zomere is a charming B&B in a late Gothic town house on the Oude Zomerstraat, right in the historic center of Bruges. The fifteenth-century building is located at the end of a cul-de-sac and overlooks the city's three famous towers, which immediately provides a strong sense of place and history. The façade, tall windows and thick walls recall medieval Bruges, while the interior is refined and contemporary. In the sheltered courtyard, the city noise is suddenly muffled; here you can experience how quiet the city center can be as soon as you step a few steps away from the busy streets.

The B & B has five guest rooms with a total of ten sleeping places. Each room is spacious, with a minimum of twenty-five square metres, and offers a double bed and a private bathroom with a walk-in shower. The interior combines original elements of the house with soft colors, quality linen and carefully chosen details, so that the historic surroundings never feel heavy. The high ceilings and large windows provide plenty of light, while curtains and good insulation keep the rooms pleasantly quiet, even so close to the Markt.

The daily routine starts with a continental breakfast served in the breakfast room. Don't expect a big buffet, but a nice selection of bread, spreads, yoghurt, fruit and hot drinks, with attention to freshness and peace at the table. Because De Zomere is small, the atmosphere remains personal: you'll quickly notice that the hosts know their guests by name and are happy to share tips about quiet walking routes, lesser-known museums or a specific restaurant that suits your taste.

Practically, the stay is clearly organized. Check-in usually takes place between sixteen and nineteen, in consultation a little more if necessary; you can check out until eleven in the morning. The house has multiple levels and lots of stairs, with no elevator. This contributes to the authentic structure of the building, but also means that De Zomere is less suitable for those who have difficulty climbing stairs or are dependent on wheelchair access. For cyclists, there is space for around ten bicycles in a covered garage, including charging options for electric bicycles, which makes the B&B attractive for those who want to explore Bruges and the surrounding area by bike.

The surroundings

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The Oude Zomerstraat is a short, quiet alley that ends at the back of some historic buildings. Here you can experience Bruges at its most intimate: cobblestones, old brick, a few lanterns and the silhouette of towers in the background. Nevertheless, you can be in the hustle and bustle of the Markt, with the Belfry, the terraces and the carriages, or on the Burg with the town hall and the basilica in just a few minutes. De Zomere is right on the border between the lively heart and a quiet corner of the city.

In the immediate vicinity, you will find a dense network of alleys, squares and small shopping streets. The Steenstraat and surrounding streets are the classic shops, with a mix of larger businesses and independent boutiques. Nearby are the Jan van Eyckplein and the old trading district around the former moors on the canals, where warehouses, trading houses and bridges set the scene. A little further south, you can see the tower of Saint Salvator Cathedral and the Church of Our Lady rising between the roofs, both within a pleasant walk.

Despite its central location, De Zomere's street remains remarkably quiet. There is hardly any through traffic; visitors come here consciously, not by chance. This makes the B&B suitable for those who need a quiet place after a day of impressions, without having to renounce the convenience of a central location. Late at night, there is mostly muffled buzz from afar and occasionally the Belfry carillon, a constant reminder that you're staying in old Bruges.

Things to do in the area

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• Climb the Belfry on the Markt for a panoramic view of the roofs, towers, and canals of Bruges, then explore the cloth halls and the square full of terraces and coffee bars.

• Visit the Burg, with its town hall and basilica, and combine it with Historium Brugge aan de Markt, where the medieval trading city is brought to life through stories and sets.

• Walk along the canals via Jan van Eyck Square and the surrounding quay to quiet residential areas, where you'll alternately pass historic warehouses, small squares and quiet bridges that avoid the more touristy routes.

Restaurants & cafes

Restaurants
• The Olive Tree Bruges
In the Wollestraat, a short walk from De Zomere, The Olive Tree serves Greek and Mediterranean cuisine with a lot of attention to fresh sea and land ingredients. The restaurant is known for its warm hospitality and dishes such as grilled fish, halloumi, stews and classics of Greek family cuisine.

• The Florentines
The Florentines, in a historic building in the Academiestraat, harks back to the time when Italian merchants lived here. In a bright, elegant dining room, Belgian European dishes with seasonal produce are served; think refined starters, classic main courses with local accents and carefully chosen wines.

• De Vlaamsche Pot
If you want to try typical Flemish food, visit De Vlaamsche Pot in a cozy house in the city center. The menu includes dishes such as beef stew, waterzooi, royal snack and other classics, prepared in generous portions in a homely atmosphere, often mentioned as one of the better places for traditional cuisine in Bruges.

Cafes & bars
• Cafune Espresso Bar
Cafuné Espresso Bar, in the Academiestraat, is a small specialty coffee bar and microroaster where a lot of attention is paid to the origin and branding of the coffee beans. Here you can drink carefully brewed espresso, filter coffee and latte variants, often accompanied by homemade cakes, sourdough bread or a light brunch.

• Meys Art Café
Meys Art Café in Sint Amandsstraat combines an art gallery with a coffee bar. Between paintings and objects, you can sit down for coffee, hot chocolate, a beer or simple dishes such as omelets, sandwiches and waffles, with a cozy terrace weather permitting.

• Coffee Camel
Kaffee Kamiel is located in and around the Zilverpand shopping district and is considered a trendy brunch address with a warm, urban atmosphere. Throughout the day, you'll find breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes, homemade cakes and a wide range of coffee and other drinks, in an interior that pays a lot of attention to design and comfort.

Lunch shops
• Basiel Urban Greenhouse
Basiel Urban Greenhouse in Mariastraat is a green oasis where plant shop and lunch place come together. Specialty coffee, vegan cakes and healthy lunch dishes are served in a light and green interior and city garden, with a clear focus on sustainable and plant-based options.

• Books & Brunch
Books & Brunch at the Garenmarkt is a combination of an eatery and a second-hand bookstore. The menu includes breakfast formulas, salads, sandwiches and daily suggestions with a lot of attention to healthy and often organic ingredients, while the shelves full of books provide a calm, almost living room-like atmosphere.

• Local Bar
Bar Lokal, hidden on the Burg, is a small-scale coffee and lunch bar that focuses heavily on local products. You can go there for breakfast, various types of waffles and toasts, simple hot dishes and a tasty lunch menu, served in an attractive space where art and regional products are given a prominent place.

Accessibility

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• By train
From Bruges station, you can reach the B&B via a straightforward route: you can walk about twenty to twenty-five minutes along the wide city axis, while various city buses take you to the Markt in about ten minutes. From the Markt stop, it's just a few minutes' walk to the Old Summer Street.

• By car
Motorists should follow the ring road around Bruges and the signs to the central car parks. The Oude Zomerstraat itself is only suitable for a short stop to load or unload luggage; street parking is not allowed here. From the nearest car parks in the city center, such as Parking Pandreitje near Queen Astrid Park or the car parks at Langestraat and Katelijne, you can walk to De Zomere in less than ten minutes.

• Inside the city
Once installed, almost everything in Bruges can be reached on foot; the B&B is close to the main sights, shops and restaurants. Thanks to the covered bicycle shed and the charging point for electric bicycles, De Zomere is also a good base for those who want to discover the city and the surrounding landscape by bike, for example towards Damme or along the canal.

Parking

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De Zomere does not have its own private parking for guests. In the Oude Zomerstraat, you can stop briefly to unload suitcases, but long-term parking is not allowed. For those coming by car, it is therefore essential to think in advance about a combination of peripheral parking and center parking. Paid parking is available every day between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m., even on weekends and holidays.

There are several underground car parks within walking distance of the B&B. Parking Pandreitje, near Queen Astrid Park, offers relatively quiet access to the city center and is useful when approaching the city from the east side. Parking Langestraat is located a little further along the eastern inner ring and is particularly suitable if you want to leave the car just outside the busiest streets, while Parking Katelijne is located towards the south side of the city center and is a good option if you enter from the south via the ring. All these car parks operate with hourly rates and daily maximums and are clearly signaled from the ring road.

On the outskirts of the city, there are also several peripheral car parks where you can park for less or sometimes free, with a switch to public transport to the center. Examples include the Magdalenastraat and Boogschutterslaan car parks, both of which are included in the official overview of P and R and peripheral car parks in Bruges. If you combine your city visit with trips outside Bruges, you can choose to leave the car in a peripheral car park during the day and drive briefly to the Old Summer Street just to load and unload. In addition, there are several pre-reserved private parking spaces in residential streets and courtyards in the city center; these offer an alternative for those who want absolute certainty about a fixed location within walking distance of the B&B.

Summary

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De Zomere is a small-scale B&B in a late Gothic town house in the heart of Bruges, where five spacious rooms combine historic charm with contemporary comfort. With spacious rooms, each with a double bed and private bathroom, a delicious continental breakfast and a secluded courtyard, staying in a carefully preserved piece of city history feels like staying in a carefully preserved piece of city history. The location, in a quiet cul-de-sac, a few minutes from the Markt and the main sights, makes it easy to explore Bruges on foot and get back to the peace and quiet of the B&B in between.

For train passengers, the connection via station and city bus to the Markt is particularly convenient, while drivers head to underground car parks such as Pandreitje, Langestraat or Katelijne and to peripheral car parks on the outskirts of the city. Cyclists benefit from a covered parking and charging point for electric bicycles. A wide range of places to eat and drink await in the immediate vicinity and a short walk: from Mediterranean cuisine at The Olive Tree and classic Flemish dishes at De Vlaamsche Pot to specialty coffee at Cafuné and healthy lunch at Basiel Urban Greenhouse or Books & Brunch. For example, De Zomere offers a quiet, historic and at the same time very practical base for those who want to experience Bruges intensely but in a relaxed way.

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